With global attention on the role that plastics play in our ecosystem, many researchers are investigating new bioplastic or “biodegradable polymer” alternatives to reduce the ecological impact of plastic packaging. One such promising thermoplastic is polylactic acid (PLA). This bioplastic decomposes into lactic acid and can be derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar […] Read more
In this sample, a trench in a semiconductor device is cross-sectioned and imaged by the Vista-IR microscope. Two different materials are highlighted based on the unique IR absorption bands for each material. Twenty-five spectra are acquired across the interface of the two materials, with 10 nm spacing between each spectrum. Looking at the peak at […] Read more
Given the height of the bacteriophage M13 (3-4 nm), a single bacteriophage may have been imaged at 1720 cm-1 (C=O) and 1667 cm-1 (amide I) via PiFM. As is the case in many instances, PiFM images reveal features that are not clear in topography. Filamentous Bacteriophage M13 and Plasmid DNA pUC19 Test sample from K-Tek Nanotechnology.
Molecular Vista’s technology deconvolves the chemical composition of a meteorite at the nanoscale. The study of the chemical composition of meteorites should answer important questions about the nature of our early solar system by allowing scientists to investigate the possibility of liquid water and complex organic compounds being a part of a meteorite’s matrix. Could meteorites be the seeds […] Read more
Resolving the Nanoscale Chemical Composition of Source Rock using Hyperspectral Photo-Induced Force Microscopy Source rock or shale is a conglomeration of inorganic minerals – e.g, silicates and carbonates – interspersed with organic matter. Distinguishing the organic and inorganic phases may explain how nanoscale properties influence the properties of bulk rock. While topographic information (a) offers […] Read more
Agreement Between PiFM and Conventional IR Spectra PiFM spectra generally replicate conventional IR spectra recorded from bulk samples, shown in this example of polyethersulfone (PES). Occasionally, slight shifts in peak wavenumber and amplitude are observed in PiFM spectra, arising from the extreme sensitivity of PiFM to localized populations of molecules. One strength of the PiFM […] Read more
The chemical mapping capability of PiFM is demonstrated in an asphalt sample containing multiple related components. Note in the accompanying spectra that the signal strength for maltene is lower than asphaltene except at ~1501 cm-1 (shown in dotted circles on both PiFM and FTIR spectra). This small difference is easy to overlook until rendered in […] Read more
Photo Physics PiFM captures ultra-confined resonances and local field enhancement in hexagonal boron nitride optical nano-dipole antennae. Unlike s-SNOM, PiFM works by mechanically detecting the gradient of the optical force generated by near fields on the AFM tip without the need for optical detection. The technique images the z-component of the field, which has the […] Read more
These transparent conductors are composed of silver nanowires embedded in clear plastic. AFM topography (left) displays those nanowires that contribute to surface morphology. However, buried nanowires do not appear in topographic images. PiFM imaging (right) does reveal the placement of embedded nanowires by taking advantage of the enhancement of the overlying acrylate polymer signal (1745cm-1) […] Read more
We recently imaged another t-BOC chemically amplified photoresist. Last time, the contrast between the exposed and unexposed regions were not as striking since we used the same peak at 1760 cm-1 to image (see blog post: Latent Images of Exposed EUV Photoresist.) This one actually uses a peak that shifts by 6 cm-1 to create a very […] Read more
